1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to computer-generated virtual reality representations of locations. Specifically, the present invention relates to changing the representation the visitor sees based upon the visitors computer environment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Virtual reality (VR) models and simulates views from a location in virtual space. The visitor perceives the view from virtual space on a computer monitor or specialized display, and experiences “movement” by changing position or orientation within the virtual space. The visitor may even be “teleported” to different points in the virtual space.
Although recognized as having substantial potential, virtual reality has remained limited mainly to certain types of computer system and hardware, such as high speed fast desktops with high speed network connections. Visitors like to be able to keep up seamlessly with virtual reality programs from on device, such as a desktop or laptop to a tablet or even smartphone. As explained below, virtual reality representation models use a “single virtual space representation,” and a “single authoring virtual reality representation” Because of this, the designer, by representing only a “single representation” limits the market size and visitor acceptance of VR programs. These factors have hindered broader adoption of virtual reality.
A virtual reality representation models a single volume, area, or point within virtual space. The representation may model physical space, such as a location or region on the Earth, or may model imaginary space in a video game. The visitor can move around in the virtual space, but is limited to remaining in that virtual space.
Two authors may create virtual reality representations of the same location, or of related locations. These representations may exist on different websites, servers, or computers. The prior art (U.S. Pat. No. 7,298,378, Virtual Reality Universe Realized as a Distributed Location Network, issued Nov. 20, 2007 by Hagenbach et. al.) shows a comprehensive way of organizing or searching these representations and offering them to the visitor so that they may be logically viewed together.
In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 7,298,378 prior art shows that the representations are connected together in a way that enables the visitor to experience both representations. For example, if the locations modeled the same physical location, the visitor could choose which representation to experience. If the locations modeled adjacent physical locations, the visitor could experience moving from one virtual location to another. This creates a “virtual universe” made of separate virtual reality representations that can be toured by visitors.
In U.S. Pat. No. 7,298,378, the representations generated by different authors are logically connected together in a virtual universe, allowing for a simplification of authoring of virtual reality representations. The programming and graphic skills required by conventional VR software makes creation of virtual reality representations a relatively complex and expensive process. The easier and faster virtual reality representations can be created, the easier and faster a rich and varied virtual universe can be created and offered to visitors.
However, the prior art provides only a single VR representation of a VR space by a single author. Multiple authors creating multiple VR representations of a single VR space provide the same view-types based upon generally similar high density graphical representations that lead to high quality imaging. This means that visitor computer processor speeds, processor loads, connection speeds and browser version can play a significant role on the quality of the experience of the VR Universe. Also, this results in a lack of seamless use between differing devices such as smartphones, tables, laptops and desktops, since each can have various processor speeds, processor loads, connection speeds and browser versions.
Thus there is a need for logically connecting virtual reality representations together to form a virtual universe that allows for an improved visitor experience for a single visitor even if the visitor has either a computer that has processor speeds, processor loads, connection speeds and browser versions that was not optimized for the authors graphical representation or whereby the visitor has multiple computers that they want to use seamlessly on the VR universe where each device has differing processor speeds, processor loads, connection speeds and browser versions. In addition to conventional virtual reality software, a simplified method of creating virtual reality representations for computers that have various processor speeds, processor loads, connection speeds and browser version is needed to encourage creation of the virtual universe.